2007 Pastoral Encyclical for Christmas (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Pastoral Encyclical

Sacred Metropolis of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Christmas 2007

Beloved brethren,

During the Divine Liturgy of the feast of Christmas, and indeed at the Entrance, that is, in the troparion that is chanted during the Small Entrance of the Priest with the Gospel, a scriptural verse is included that refers to Christ: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Melchizedek, who was the King of Salem, was a priest who suddenly appears out of nowhere, and when he met Abraham “he brought out bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God.” Then, he blessed Abraham (Gen. 14:18-20).

This is a mysterious person, who is not mentioned anywhere else in Holy Scripture, appears suddenly and abruptly disappears, neither his parents, nor his birth, nor his death are mentioned, he appears without having a predecessor and successor, and he is a king and priest who was appointed by God and remains throughout the ages, since his priesthood did not come from Aaron. At the same time, Melchizedek offers bread and wine and not other sacrificial gifts, as was provided for in the Old Testament, and moreover, he blessed Abraham, as sent by God. The existence of Melchizedek is also mentioned by David in his Psalms (Ps. 6:4).

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Hebrews refers to this mysterious king and priest, who is interpreted as a king of peace and justice and is “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest forever” (Heb. 7:1 et seq.). This king and priest, Melchizedek, who does not come from the priesthood of Aaron, who abides forever and has no beginning or end, is a type of Christ. With his appearance to Abraham and with all that he did, the mystery of the Divine Eucharist was prefigured. After all, the New Testament interprets the events of the Old Testament, because through the incarnation of Christ we understand all those enigmas of the Prophets and the difficult events of the Old Testament.

Saint John Chrysostom refers to the appearance of this mysterious man in the Old Testament and connects him with Christ, since he is a type of Him, and he even says that this refers to the two births of Christ, divine and human. Christ is begotten according to the lower birth, since he was born of the Panagia without a man, and begotten according to the higher birth, since He was born of the Father - God without a mother. What is said that Christ is without genealogy, refers to both births, the birth in heaven and the birth on earth. The first birth is “awesome”, and inconceivable, but the lower birth is also “mysterious” and “incomprehensible”. And then Saint John Chrysostom writes that he knows that Christ was born, according to His divine nature, from the Father, but he does not know the manner, he also knows that He was born according to His human nature from the Virgin, but again he does not understand the manner. The birth of every nature is confessed, but the manner of birth is kept silent. We do not know, of course, the manner of births, but we do not doubt the births.

Saint Gregory the Theologian says that with the birth of Christ, according to His human nature, the shadow is removed and the truth comes, “Melchizedek is concluded; the motherless and fatherless is made, motherless by the former, fatherless by the latter.” And Saint Maximus the Confessor says that everyone who mortifies the members on earth and has no connection with the life of the flesh, because of divine Grace, also becomes without father, without mother and without genealogy, according to the great Melchizedek, and because of his connection with the Spirit.

Thus, Christ is the Priest/High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, motherless according to His divine birth, fatherless according to His human birth and without genealogy. Also, His Priesthood is not connected to the Priesthood of the Old Testament, but He Himself is a Priest, from Him begins the new Priesthood which He subsequently gives to His Disciples, He performs the mystery of the Divine Eucharist, where the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ, He blesses His people, and remains a Priest forever, performing the mystery of the Divine Eucharist and blessing His people, who are connected to Him.

Christ transmitted His Priesthood to the Apostles and they to their successors, the so-called Apostolic Fathers, and subsequently, through the Holy Fathers, the Priesthood of Christ reached us, just as the flame is transmitted from one candle to another. This Priesthood, despite our unworthiness, is a great gift of God to man, because through it the Holy Mysteries are celebrated, especially the Mystery of the Divine Eucharist, in which we experience the Birth, Transfiguration, Passion, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, but also the Mystery of Holy Pentecost, according to our preparation and our spiritual state.

But all of us can have spiritual Priesthood when we struggle to overcome passions, when we pray within the altar of our heart, when we glorify God in our lives. Saint John Chrysostom recommends that the Christian pray wherever he is, because he has with him the altar, that is, his heart, and the knife and the sacrificial offering, because he himself is “a Priest, altar and sacrificial offering.” Spiritual Priesthood is not opposed to the sacramental Priesthood, but both are connected to Christ, are connected to each other, and spiritually complement each other.

Christ, whose Nativity we celebrate today, is a Priest forever, because He works the mystery of our salvation, He sanctifies us, He nourishes us with His Body, He gives us everything, He performs the Holy Mysteries within His Church, but He will also nourish and glorify the saints in the Heavenly Kingdom. Christ took on human nature, deified it, and glorified it forever. He also wants our deification and glory.

During the annual feast of Christmas we are given the opportunity to glorify this High Priesthood of Christ, the source of all spiritual graces, and to taste its gifts and good things. This Priesthood is the great gift of Christ to humanity, which is why we must connect with it. Let us continually glorify Him and say to Him “You (Lord) are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

I wish you all a good and blessed Twelve Days.

With warm wishes,

THE METROPOLITAN

+ HIEROTHEOS OF NAFPAKTOS AND AGIOU VLASIOU

 
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.